Day 252, September 9: Bible reading & prayer
Ezekiel 40-41 (chronological); Proverbs 15-16, 2 Corinthians 1 (OT/NT)
We are reading Ezekiel. Ezekiel the priest actually wrote as an exile in the land of the Chaldeans during the era of the kings of Judah and the kings of Israel. The Lord gave Ezekiel vision of what Jeremiah experienced and spoke about, so Ezekiel fills in a lot of understanding for us. The LORD consistently repeats that He even in His wrath and punishment, He will leave a remnant as witness that His word stands, who will then know that He is the LORD.
Reminder that Jehoiachin (Coniah, Jeconiah), king of Judah, grandson of Josiah, actually surrendered to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon after only three months of reign after the death of his rebellious father Jehoiakim. He was taken to Babylon with ten thousand other captives. The LORD appeared to Ezekiel and appointed him to speak His word during the fifth year of Jehoiachin’s exile. Nebuchadnezzar had replaced Jehoiachin with his uncle Mattaniah, renaming him Zedekiah. Zedekiah eventually rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar, like his brother Jehoiakim, had done. This led to the siege and fall of Jerusalem, about which Ezekiel prophesied, and which occurred in our reading on Day 249 (Ezekiel 33:21).
After we read about the fall of Jerusalem, there has been a transition in the word of the LORD to Ezekiel to future events regarding the hope of the restoration of Israel. Yesterday we saw a further transition to events of latter days.
The LORD had Ezekiel prophesy about a prophetic future prince Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, who, in the latter years, will come out of the north into the land of Israel, when it is reinhabited and they are living securely, with his army and with Persia, Ethiopia, Put [probably Libya], Gomer [Japeth’s descendants], Beth-togarmah [also descendants of Japheth, probably Assyria]. Sheba [Ethiopia or Yemen], Dedan [Arabia], and Tarshish [a port likely on the Mediterranean] will ask if they’ve come to capture spoil. The LORD’s fury will mount up in His anger when Gog comes into Israel. There will be a great earthquake and the LORD will enter into judgment with Gog, with blood and pestilence and a rain of hailstones, fire, and brimstone. He will magnify Himself, sanctify Himself, and make Himself known in the sight of many nations and they will know that He is the LORD.
The LORD then had Ezekiel continue to prophesy against Gog, saying he and all those with him will fall on the mountains of Israel. He will then send fire upon his land of Magog and all those who inhabit the coastlands in safety, and they will know that He is the LORD. The nations will see His judgment and the house of Israel will know He is the LORD from that day onward. The nations will know Israel went into exile for their iniquity, but He will restore the fortunes of Israel and be jealous for His holy name. He will not hide His face from them any longer, for He will have poured out His Spirit upon them.
Today’s visions seem to give more hope for those in exile regarding the restoration of Jerusalem and the temple.
An overview of our yearly Bible reading plan, with all summaries so far, can be found here. My appeal for the resolution to read your Bibles is here.
September 9 chronological reading: Ezekiel 40-41
Ezekiel 40
v1-4 “In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was taken, on that same day the hand of the LORD was upon me and He brought me there. In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, and on it to the south there was a structure like a city. So He brought me there; and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. The man said to me, ‘Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you see.’
v5-16 “And behold, there was a wall on the outside of the temple all around, and in the man’s hand was a measuring rod of six cubits, each of which was a cubit and a hand breadth. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one rod; and the height, one rod. Then he went to the gate which faced east, went up its steps and measured the threshold of the gate, one rod in width; and the other threshold was one rod in width. The guardroom was one rod long and one rod wide; and there were five cubits between the guardrooms. And the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate facing inward was one rod. Then he measured the porch of the gate facing inward, one rod. He measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its side pillars, two cubits. And the porch of the gate was faced inward. The guardrooms of the gate toward the east numbered three on each side; the three of them had the same measurement. The side pillars also had the same measurement on each side. And he measured the width of the gateway, ten cubits, and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits. There was a barrier wall one cubit wide in front of the guardrooms on each side; and the guardrooms were six cubits square on each side. He measured the gate from the roof of the one guardroom to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits from one door to the door opposite. He made the side pillars sixty cubits high; the gate extended round about to the side pillar of the courtyard. From the front of the entrance gate to the front of the inner porch of the gate was fifty cubits. There were shuttered windows looking toward the guardrooms, and toward their side pillars within the gate all around, and likewise for the porches. And there were windows all around inside; and on each side pillar were palm tree ornaments.
v17-19 “Then he brought me into the outer court, and behold, there were chambers and a pavement made for the court all around; thirty chambers faced the pavement. The pavement (that is, the lower pavement) was by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. Then he measured the width from the front of the lower gate to the front of the exterior of the inner court, a hundred cubits on the east and on the north.
v20-23 “As for the gate of the outer court which faced the north, he measured its length and its width. It had three guardrooms on each side; and its side pillars and its porches had the same measurement as the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. Its windows and its porches and its palm tree ornaments had the same measurements as the gate which faced toward the east; and it was reached by seven steps, and its porch was in front of them. The inner court had a gate opposite the gate on the north as well as the gate on the east; and he measured a hundred cubits from gate to gate.
v24-27 “Then he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate toward the south; and he measured its side pillars and its porches according to those same measurements. The gate and its porches had windows all around like those other windows; the length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. There were seven steps going up to it, and its porches were in front of them; and it had palm tree ornaments on its side pillars, one on each side. The inner court had a gate toward the south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.
v28-31 “Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate; and he measured the south gate according to those same measurements. Its guardrooms also, its side pillars and its porches were according to those same measurements. And the gate and its porches had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. There were porches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide. Its porches were toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars, and its stairway had eight steps.
v32-34 “He brought me into the inner court toward the east. And he measured the gate according to those same measurements. Its guardrooms also, its side pillars and its porches were according to those same measurements. And the gate and its porches had windows all around; it was fifty cubits long and twenty-five cubits wide. Its porches were toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars, on each side, and its stairway had eight steps.
v35-37 “Then he brought me to the north gate; and he measured it according to those same measurements, with its guardrooms, its side pillars and its porches. And the gate had windows all around; the length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits. Its side pillars were toward the outer court; and palm tree ornaments were on its side pillars on each side, and its stairway had eight steps.
v38-43 “A chamber with its doorway was by the side pillars at the gates; there they rinse the burnt offering. In the porch of the gate were two tables on each side, on which to slaughter the burnt offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering. On the outer side, as one went up to the gateway toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side of the porch of the gate were two tables. Four tables were on each side next to the gate; or, eight tables on which they slaughter sacrifices. For the burnt offering there were four tables of hewn stone, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide and one cubit high, on which they lay the instruments with which they slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice. The double hooks, one hand breadth in length, were installed in the house all around; and on the tables was the flesh of the offering.
v44-47 “From the outside to the inner gate were chambers for the singers in the inner court, one of which was at the side of the north gate, with its front toward the south, and one at the side of the south gate facing toward the north. He said to me, ‘This is the chamber which faces toward the south, intended for the priests who keep charge of the temple; but the chamber which faces toward the north is for the priests who keep charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok [“the high priest, son of Ahitub of the house of Eleazar the son of Aaron, and 11th in descent from Aaron; joined David after Saul's death and supported him against Absalom and Adonijah; anointed Solomon as king”], who from the sons of Levi come near to the LORD to minister to Him.’ He measured the court, a perfect square, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits wide; and the altar was in front of the temple.
v48-49 “Then he brought me to the porch of the temple and measured each side pillar of the porch, five cubits on each side; and the width of the gate was three cubits on each side. The length of the porch was twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits; and at the stairway by which it was ascended were columns belonging to the side pillars, one on each side.”
Ezekiel 41
v1-4 “Then he brought me to the nave and measured the side pillars; six cubits wide on each side was the width of the side pillar. The width of the entrance was ten cubits and the sides of the entrance were five cubits on each side. And he measured the length of the nave, forty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits. Then he went inside and measured each side pillar of the doorway, two cubits, and the doorway, six cubits high; and the width of the doorway, seven cubits. He measured its length, twenty cubits, and the width, twenty cubits, before the nave; and he said to me, ‘This is the most holy place.’
v5-11 “Then he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits; and the width of the side chambers, four cubits, all around about the house on every side. The side chambers were in three stories, one above another, and thirty in each story; and the side chambers extended to the wall which stood on their inward side all around, that they might be fastened, and not be fastened into the wall of the temple itself. The side chambers surrounding the temple were wider at each successive story. Because the structure surrounding the temple went upward by stages on all sides of the temple, therefore the width of the temple increased as it went higher; and thus one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the second story. I saw also that the house had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers were a full rod of six long cubits in height. The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits. But the free space between the side chambers belonging to the temple and the outer chambers was twenty cubits in width all around the temple on every side. The doorways of the side chambers toward the free space consisted of one doorway toward the north and another doorway toward the south; and the width of the free space was five cubits all around.
v12 “The building that was in front of the separate area at the side toward the west was seventy cubits wide; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length was ninety cubits.
v13-14 “Then he measured the temple, a hundred cubits long; the separate area with the building and its walls were also a hundred cubits long. Also the width of the front of the temple and that of the separate areas along the east side totaled a hundred cubits.
v15-20 “He measured the length of the building along the front of the separate area behind it, with a gallery on each side, a hundred cubits; he also measured the inner nave and the porches of the court. The thresholds, the latticed windows and the galleries round about their three stories, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, and from the ground to the windows (but the windows were covered), over the entrance, and to the inner house, and on the outside, and on all the wall all around inside and outside, by measurement. It was carved with cherubim and palm trees; and a palm tree was between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces, a man’s face toward the palm tree on one side and a young lion’s face toward the palm tree on the other side; they were carved on all the house all around. From the ground to above the entrance cherubim and palm trees were carved, as well as on the wall of the nave.
v21-26 “The doorposts of the nave were square; as for the front of the sanctuary, the appearance of one doorpost was like that of the other. The altar was of wood, three cubits high and its length two cubits; its corners, its base and its sides were of wood. And he said to me, ‘This is the table that is before the LORD.’ The nave and the sanctuary each had a double door. Each of the doors had two leaves, two swinging leaves; two leaves for one door and two leaves for the other. Also there were carved on them, on the doors of the nave, cherubim and palm trees like those carved on the walls; and there was a threshold of wood on the front of the porch outside. There were latticed windows and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the porch; thus were the side chambers of the house and the thresholds.”
September 9 OT/NT readings: Proverbs 15-16, 2 Corinthians 1
We are reading Proverbs in the Old Testament reading plan. We first read Proverbs 15 in the chronological reading plan on Day 158, and Proverbs 16 on Day 159.
Yesterday we finished Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians in the New Testament reading plan, and today we start his second letter to the Corinthians. Paul went to Corinth during his second missionary journey (see timeline of the book of Acts). It was the first place he remained for any length of time (18 months) until a disturbance was formed against him and he moved on. He had met Romans Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth, and he took them with him to Ephesus and left them there while he returned to Antioch. He returned to Ephesus at the beginning of his third missionary journey, staying over 2 years. He wrote what we know as the first letter to the Corinthians from Ephesus. 1 Corinthians 5:9 refers to a previous letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians and 1 Corinthians 7:1 refers to their writing a letter in return, containing questions he addresses in this letter.
During his time in Ephesus, when he wrote what we know as his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul resolved to travel through Macedonia and Greece to take a contribution to the saints in Jerusalem. He spoke about this collection in the last chapter of 1 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians was written during these travels at the end of his third missionary journey. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:1, “This is the third time I am coming to you,” so there was another visit by Paul to Corinth about which we don’t have details.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians because he knew there was both division and immorality in the church. 2 Corinthians addresses his previous rebuke, the collection they are contributing to for the saints in Jerusalem, and dangerous outsiders claiming inappropriate authority in their church.
2 Corinthians 1
v1 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:
v2 “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
v3-7 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
v8-11 “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.
v12-14 “For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.
v15-22 “In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing; that is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time? But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silvanus and Timothy—was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.
v23-24 “But I call God as witness to my soul, that to spare you I did not come again to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but are workers with you for your joy; for in your faith you are standing firm.”
Dear Lord,
Declare to the house of Israel all that you see.
We will know that You are the Lord when You fulfill Your word. Help us to be faithful to declare Your word.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
I’ve so appreciated all the ways You have explained Yourself as we have been reading through Ezekiel. Yes, You are mysterious but You have not left us guessing. You reveal Your purposes in Your word. This verse is another example. You are gracious to redeem suffering. As we are comforted by You in our suffering, may we be able to comfort others.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
"We will know that You are the Lord when You fulfill Your word. Help us to be faithful to declare Your word." Amen. Thank you Dr. Milhoan. Peace.